Lost in the Sauce: Problems with Obsessive Fandom

Numerous McDonald’s restaurants nationwide on Oct. 7 had crowds revolting over the lack of their limited edition McNugget Szechuan Sauce in honor of “Rick and Morty.”

The Szechuan sauce was first introduced in 1998 as part of a promotional tie-in for Disney’s “Mulan” and was subsequently discontinued after the promotion ended.

For nearly 20 years, the condiment remained in obscurity within the public consciousness.

But thanks to the Adult Swim animated series “Rick and Morty,” a joke involving titular scientist Rick needing the Szechuan sauce brought the condiment back into the popular culture.

Since the third season premiere of the series back in April, fans had been demanding that McDonald’s bring back the condiment, even for a limited run a la the McRib.

McDonald’s could not pass up a great opportunity to build public awareness, so they brought the Szechuan sauce back for one day; only to realize that the demand was far greater than they imagined.

Thousands of “Rick and Morty” fans had lined up at numerous McDonald’s restaurants nationwide, only to be disappointed that the supply could not meet their demands.

The extremely limited amount of Szechuan sauce packets brought some passionate fans of “Rick and Morty” to have near-riots at these restaurants in demand for a sauce.

Demand for the sauce was so high, that some limited packets are being sold on eBay for as high as $300 each.

In response to the outcry, McDonald’s announced that more Szechuan sauce will be released on a wider scale this winter.

All of this energy, excitement and anger by fans was just because they did not get a packet of McNugget dipping sauce that they heard from a throwaway joke in a cartoon.

The culture of fandom has flourished in recent years with the advancements of social media and streaming allowing people easier access to meet new fans and watch more content instantly.

Passionate fandoms have existed for decades, with franchises such as “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and “Doctor Who” having some of the most passionate bases.

Fans would watch all the episodes and films of certain franchises and sometimes cosplay as their favorite characters and come together as a community of fans for special events.

Being a passionate fan can be realized in incredible ways. New filmmakers who grew up watching George Lucas’ “Star Wars” are now directing films within that franchise.

Fans can also make new friends thanks to their shared love of certain properties. And given the divided nature of our culture right now, unity is heavily desired by many.

But if fanbases continue to cause such embarrassing noise because of something as trivial as a McDonald’s dipping sauce, then it shows that their passions on popular culture can cross a line.

Over the last two months alone, the world is experiencing numerous tragedies, whether it be natural disasters or mass shootings.

If the same amount of fervor surrounding the Szechuan sauce was on pressing matters, imagine what could be accomplished.

That is not to say that people should not enjoy “Rick and Morty” or other fictional series. Entertainment is a necessary place for escapism within a divided culture.

But if you find yourself waiting in line for hours for a packet of sauce just because of a cartoon and get upset if you do not get one, you need to reevaluate your priorities.